The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-06
AN INTERESTING CHARACTER.
D. E. Betton is His Name and He Lives
in Cuthbert.

From the Macon (Ga) Telegraph.
Yes, sir; was classmate at West Point
with Jefferson Davis
Seated in one of the arcade chairs at the
Hotel Lanier, on Saturday, was an old man,
neatly dressed in brown suit, and having
the appearance of a man who had retired
from business on a competency and was
taking life easily. He was quite small
man, his rudy face ornamented with thin
nish gray burnsides and a crop under his
pointed chin. He sat in the chair as if en-
Joying the view of the many people STIR
ring about the arcade, his small, sharp
twlnkling eyes of gray resting upon every
face as If he was looking for some familiar
features.
You would never suspect that he was 81
years old, for he had been treated much
BETTER by time than the illustrious man
he claimed for his clasSmate. True, his
hair and beard was almost as white, but
he had firmer step, and there was glow
of health in his face that Mr.. Davis does not
possess.
"When was that3" asked a reporter who
overhead the remark
That was in 1924 We were in the same
class at West Point, and he was one of the
brightest boys that ever went away from
Mississippi He was an exceedingly hand
some boy, with hair as black as a coal, of
handsome form and mischievous and
full of life, like all Southern boys
He graduated in 1925 and in the same
class was Hugh Mercer, father of George
Mercer, and who was at the head of the
class. / had difficulty with the COM
randcnt and had to go, leaving Mr. Davis
there"
Where did you next see Mr.. DavisF'
u kept up with his career, but did not
see him until 1S4S, while he was our United
States Senator. He was among the pasSen-
gers on board a steamboat on the Alabama
river. We had travelled from New Orleans
together and he was on his way to Washing
ton. One day on the trip was in CONVEX
bation with Gov. McWillis, of Alabama,
who was also passenger, and he spoke of
Col. Davis. While we were thus engaged,
Col. Davis whom had failed TO recognize,
was walking up and down the deck talking
with James Calhoun, brother Of Patrick
Calhoun, | asked the Governor what gentle
men it was talking to Mr.. Calhoun. He re-
piled that it was Col. Davis. Jeff Davis!
asked II was jeff Davis. he replied. When he
had finished with Mr.. Calhoun went up and
spoke to him, bat he said nothing until we
had reached the head of the boat, and then
he said, I'm trying to locate you, I then
told him who was and he seemed delighted
to see me. | saw him after that at
Montgomery, and several times during the
war;
Have you seen him while hereF'
"Oh, yes | went up to Col. john
ston's house and he made Gov. Watts
make room, for me that he might talk to
me.n
Tell me something of yourself
"Well, after was forced to leave West
Point, an uncle of mine, with influence, Sc
cured me- midshipman's berth on the
Brardywine, the vessel that carried Gen.
Lafayette back 80 France. The vessel was
built at Washington, but he sailed from the
mouth of the Potomac, Sept. 10. and landed
at Havre, Oct Z, The night we left, there
was fearful storm, and we we're in great
danger of being wrecked. The next morn
ing we found that there was four feet of
water in the hold from leak that was not
discovered until we returned home. We
threw overheard a Thousand pounds of 50
ID. shot ana several IONS of pig iron, and
thus hghtened. the vessel sailed well. When
We left Havra there was another storm, and
we boosted signals. A vessel Ctlne to our
relief and we landed on the Isle of Wight,
where sew big parade of soldiers. We
remained fourteen days at Cowes, AID then
passing Gibraltar, set sail on the Meciter-
reanean. ] should have said that it
was on this voyage that / had the pleas
ure of meeting the wife of Lord Byron at
Cowesn
How cid are ycup'
81 am IS wears of age Here is a letter
from my uncle written in 1774 and here is a
deed drawn the same year. You will no.
tIce that the handwriting is equal to any
you see nowadays"
And so it was. The deed was splen-
didly written, the chirography being
uniform and unique, yet plainly legible
Tho Of of anOfhor Lind blIt in
every respect as legible as that of the
deed
LET me tell you of a little incident of my
visit here, and you must remember that
came here expressly to see Mr.. Davis.
moved from Milledgeville in 1889. That
year an Irish servant stole the oil portrait
of my wife's father. Since my arrival here
l have received letter from Miss Joe Var
ner, who lives at Indian Spring, saving that
about fifteen years ago she happened TO stop
at a country house not far from Indian
Spring, and was struck with a portrait hing
on the wall 1t seemed so out of place that
she asked about it and finally secured il, but
could learn nothing of its history except
that on the back of it was my fabher-in-law's
name. When Miss Joe read in the Telegraph
of my presence here she remembered the
name and resolved to put it in my hands,
and | am waiting right here now for her, as
she came into town last night. You see |
will get portrait stolen from me forty-six
years ago"
This remarkable well-preserved man is
Mr.. D. T. Betton. He lives in Cuthbert,
where he has two daughters, one of whom
is the wife of Mr.. Daniel Phelps, the
wel-known railroad agent at that place
Mr.. Betton lives with his youngest dsugh-
ter.
He has active and reteative 1 srr
ory and tells many interesting things aoo&3
the early days of Milledgeville and Macon.
----
Tbax, Will Not no IF